Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering
The doctoral degree in chemical engineering is awarded in recognition of mastery in chemical/biological engineering and upon demonstration of an ability to make substantial creative contributions to knowledge in chemical engineering. The recipients of these degrees will be capable of a continuing effort toward advancement of knowledge and achievement in research while pursuing an academic or industrial research career.
Curriculum
| Minimum Credits Required | 72 |
| Maximum Transfer Credit | 32 |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | (15) 1 | |
| CHE 525 | Chemical Reaction Engineering 1 | 3 |
| CHE 530 | Advanced Process Control 1 | 3 |
| or CHE 536 | Computational Techniques in Engineering | |
| CHE 535 | Applications of Mathematics to Chemical Engineering 1 | 3 |
| CHE 551 | Advanced Transport Phenomena 1 | 3 |
| CHE 553 | Advanced Thermodynamics 1 | 3 |
| Elective Courses | (21-33) | |
| Select 21-33 credit hours of electives 2 | 21-33 | |
| Ph.D. Research | (24-36) | |
| CHE 691 | Research and Thesis for Ph.D. Degree | 24-36 |
| 1 | A minimum grade point average of 3.0/4.0 is required in the core courses. |
| 2 | The upper limit for independent study coursework (CHE 597) is 18 credit hours. |
Students should consult the Transfer Credit section of this bulletin for rules on how many credit hours may be transferred from another institution.
Students must pass a written qualifying examination within three semesters after they have been admitted to the Ph.D. program. The exam is diagnostic in nature, and the results of the exam will determine the student’s potential for success in the Ph.D. program and recommendations for a future program of study. The examination will cover four core areas: thermodynamics, reaction engineering and kinetics, transport phenomena, and process modeling and control.
The comprehensive examination is oral and may include a written exam based on the student’s performance on the qualifying exam. The exam questions will be formulated by the members of the Ph.D. examining committee. The examination will also include oral presentation and discussion by the student of a journal article selected a priori by the examining committee. The exam must be conducted within a year following completion of the qualifying exam. The Ph.D. examining committee, which may be the same as the Ph.D. thesis committee, should be suggested by the adviser and approved by the chairperson at least three weeks prior to the examination.
The thesis proposal examination, which is diagnostic in nature, should be conducted after the comprehensive exam and at least one year before the final thesis defense. The exam will be oral and will be administered by the Ph.D. thesis committee.
Doctoral research can begin after admission to the Ph.D. program. However, the major portion of the research should not be started until the comprehensive examination is passed and the thesis proposal is approved by the committee. All research must be conducted under the supervision of a full-time department faculty member and in the laboratories of the university. Off-campus research is possible with the approval of the department chairperson. The preliminary thesis draft must meet the approval of all members of the examination committee. An oral examination in defense of the thesis is given as an open university seminar. The thesis defense must meet with the approval of the examination committee; if it does not, the committee has the authority to determine whether or not to grant a re-examination.
